Non-Immigrant Visas
F-1
Academic Student
Study at a US university and build your career with work authorization opportunities.
An F‑1 visa is a U.S. student visa for full‑time international students enrolled in an academic or language‑training program at a SEVP‑certified school, such as a university, college, high school, or language institute. It is a nonimmigrant visa, which means you must intend to study temporarily and maintain a full course load while in the United States. To qualify, you must first be accepted by a SEVP‑certified school, receive a Form I‑20, pay the SEVIS fee, and then apply for the F‑1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
F‑1 status allows you to stay in the U.S. for the duration of your academic program plus any authorized practical training and a short grace period, as long as you follow the rules for maintaining status. Limited work options are available, including on‑campus employment and off‑campus work authorized through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT) that is directly related to your major. Many students use post‑completion OPT (and, for STEM fields, an additional 24‑month STEM OPT extension) to gain U.S. work experience after graduation.
Because F‑1 students have to follow school requirements, immigration rules, and work‑authorization rules at the same time, planning matters, especially if you hope to stay in the U.S. after graduation on OPT, H‑1B, or a green card. ByLaw advises international students and their families at each stage of the F‑1 process, from the visa application and interview preparation to CPT and OPT planning, status maintenance, and long‑term paths to employment‑based or family‑based residency. If you are considering studying in the United States on an F‑1 visa, we can help you keep your status and plan your next steps.
Eligibility Criteria
School Acceptance: You have been accepted to a SEVP-certified U.S. school (college, university, high school, or language program) and received a Form I-20 for full-time study.
Financial Resources: You demonstrate enough financial resources to pay tuition, fees, and living expenses for at least the first year of your F-1 student visa program.
Nonimmigrant Intent: You have strong ties to your home country and intend to return after completing your studies, showing that your stay in the U.S. will be temporary.
Academic Preparation: You have the academic preparation and English-language skills required by your U.S. school, or you are enrolling in an approved English-language training program.
General Admissibility: You maintain a valid passport, have no disqualifying immigration or criminal issues, and are otherwise admissible to the United States under F-1 visa rules.
“We help you plan your immigration options around your studies.”
How We Help
Our F-1 Services
F-1 Visa Application
Consular application preparation including DS-160, SEVIS fee, and financial documentation.
OPT Application
Post-completion OPT EAD applications with strategic timing advice relative to H-1B lottery cycles.
STEM OPT Extension
24-month STEM OPT extension filing and employer E-Verify compliance guidance.
CPT Advisory
Guidance on lawful CPT participation to avoid unauthorized employment violations.
H-1B Cap Strategy
Planning the OPT-to-H-1B transition including cap-gap analysis and lottery registration timing.
Status Violations & Reinstatement
Assessment and remedy of F-1 status violations, including reinstatement applications where eligible.
How We Work
Our Approach
Program Acceptance & I-20
You receive an I-20 from your institution. We advise on financial documentation and SEVIS fee payment.
Visa Application
We prepare the DS-160 and supporting documents and prepare you for the consular interview.
OPT/CPT Planning
We plan work authorization timing, CPT during studies and OPT post-graduation, around your career goals.
H-1B Transition Planning
We coordinate OPT expiry with H-1B lottery registration and cap-gap protection.
F-1 FAQ
F‑1 students are usually admitted for "duration of status," which means you can stay while you study full time and do any authorized practical training (such as OPT), as long as you keep meeting the F‑1 rules. When you finish your program and any practical training, you usually have a 60‑day grace period to leave the U.S., transfer to another school, start a new program, or apply to change your status. If you fall out of F‑1 status, you generally lose this grace period.
Yes, but only in specific, authorized ways. F‑1 students may work on‑campus up to 20 hours per week during school and can apply for off‑campus work that is directly related to their major, such as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) during the program and Optional Practical Training (OPT) before or after graduation.
Your F‑1 status does not automatically end on graduation day, but it is only valid while you are maintaining status through study or authorized training. After you complete your program (or OPT), you have a limited 60‑day grace period to depart, transfer, start a new program, or change to another status. If you take no action, you fall out of status.
An F‑1 visa does not itself provide a green card, but many students later become permanent residents through family sponsorship, employment‑based categories (such as H‑1B to EB‑2/EB‑3), or other immigration programs. Moving from F‑1 to a green card usually requires a separate immigrant petition and an adjustment‑of‑status or consular process, often with careful timing to avoid violating student‑visa rules.
No. Spouses and children of F‑1 students hold F‑2 status, and F‑2 visa holders are not permitted to work in the United States under any circumstances. An F‑2 spouse who wants to work must qualify for and obtain their own work‑authorized status, such as H‑1B or another employment visa.
Let's begin
Ready to start your F-1 process?
We offer a confidential consultation to understand your situation and outline your options, in English or Türkçe.